hey all,
I've been trying to hunt down a Cooper S with Nav in CA without much success. I wanted to see if I could find one without having to special order ...

Desert MINI of Vegas gave me a call and they have one with these specs on the lot:
Pure Silver/Meticalic
Lapis Blue Profile Leather
Premium Package
Sport Package
Navigation

MSRP is $25725, and they have a $2495 dealer markup. When the salesman faxed me the sticker he wrote : "It's the end of the month, we can work on the price a little", so it's definitely a little negotiable.

In the rip off markup, they're throwing in window tint, permaplate (dunno what that is), and floor mats (hardly worth 2495, but hey ...)

They can even install the 6 disc changer for me. At the risk of coming off as a complete whiner, the only think I'm not too happy about is the car not having the HK sound system. i guess it's really important to me coz I like to turn it up in the car, and the stock speakers are usually crap.

Christ, I could even live with that blue leather!!

any thoughts?!!

 

Why don't you look out of state? Since you contacted a Vegas dealer I know you have but how about a little further out? I know several folks on this board have been able to do this with little or no problem. One SoCal person even got their car from Hawaii to avoid the dealer markup. Also think on this, window tint=$120 floor mats = $90, permabond = crap. Do you really want to get a car and then worry you paid to much or didn't get what you really want? That's sort of what it boils down to. best of luck and welcome to MCO.

_________________

Member #47

2002 Dark Silver Mini S white roof and mirrors with Premium and Sport pkgs.
He has come and his name is MINI ME

 

my "S" is my first brand new car
and i really dug the fact that i got to order it and have it built the way i wanted it
i always said that if i bought a brand new car, that i would do it this way :smile:

 

I have heard that out west prices are way up compaired to the east. Like my friend said" look out of state" and do not pay over MSRP. The deals are out there you just can't give up. Good luck.

 

This one is from out of state, in Vegas. He seems like he's willing to negotiate too ... He might slice the markup in half, which would work for me. Vegas is conveniently close, coz I would have to drive my trade in there anyhow.

I guess the only negatives are the sound system, and the blue leather (which might actually give the car a little more edge).

You're right though, it's not EXACTLY what i want...

 

Try Assael MINI in Monrovia... tell them all about the Message Boards and that MightyMiniz.com Bought theirs there....AT MSRP. Get a BASE model... or ORDER one.... Tell them you do NOT want Dealer ADDED extras.... and talk to the FLEET MANAGER.

GOOD LUCK

 

and if I custom order it from long beach mini, I wouldn't pay any markup, and I would get the heated seats I want so badly! :smile:

patience ... i guess I gotta ward off the impulse of getting something that's not 100% what i want.

 

I was told BMW prohibits the dealer from marking the car up over MSRP, my dealer gave it for exactly what the sticker was and also you can figure the MSRP on the computer. Get what you want cause you'll probably never give the car up once you have it. They are getting easier to get on the East Coast so it will probably be the same eventually for you. Its well worth the wait, but don't let the dealer rip you off!!! Best of Luck!!

 

>>and if I custom order it from long beach mini, I wouldn't pay any markup, and I would get the heated seats I want so badly! :smile:
>>
>>patience ... i guess I gotta ward off the impulse of getting something that's not 100% what i want.

order one today......it's worth the wait

 

sambusik,
When I got my first Miata I was so excited and didn't want to wait I just got what I could which wasn't much and then drove around for four years saying, "dang, I wish I had gotten this, I wish I had gotten that, etc.) Have patience and get what YOU want.

 

I can not believe that they can still get over MSRP 10 months after the Mini arrived. I would never pay over MSRP, as you will not get this money back during resale. I feel in love with the MINI when it came out. I went to one dealer the day it opened, and drove home upset that I could not afford it with the $3000 to $9000 markup they wanted. The next day I found a dealer that sold at MSRP and I put my deposit down right away.
Maybe it's just me, but I would never pay over MSRP!
I am poor though!

 

sambusik,

Five years into glorious motoring in your MINI you'll have completely forgotten the extra four or five month wait, but you might always regret not getting what you wanted. I say decide exactly what you want, find a dealer that can order it for you asap at msrp, and wait it out. I've heard there are dealers now with three month or less waiting lists to order an S, and at this point a dealer asking anything over msrp is absurd. Definitely look out of state, even to order. A thousand mile drive can be done comfortably in two days, would be a great way to get acquainted with your MINI, and would get those "break-in" miles behind you quickly. Nothing beats a good road trip!

Best of luck,

James

 

I gotta say one thing .. This forum is a pleasure to hang out in.
I currently own a Lexus IS 300 and all those forums suck. A bunch of immature kids flaming each other and endlessly comparing their cars to the G35, 330i, etc..

It's refreshing to be here

 

MINIacs are deffinatley a breed of their own, not that flaming doesn't happen it's just much less common here.

 

You should get EXACTLY the car that you want.
It might be worth paying a little more for if you can get what you want NOW. (But not a lot more.)
The wait SUCKS! Make no mistake about that.
H/K is nice but not worth waiting for 3 months.

 

Yes, deffinatley a breed of our own???? Defiantly so.

_________________

LTL YELO

 

My local dealership just called. They have a MCS that the regional manager was driving (EXACTLY spec'd how I want it, even the color), with 4k miles.

Gonna go in and take a look at it, they're most likely willing to mark it down a lot! I'll keep you posted, I might be a MINI owner tonight!!!!

 

Don't go to Assael MINI in Monrovia! They're very arogant and they treated me like I was nothing. The people in the BMW dealer right next door treated me better! MightyMini how did u get yours at MSRP? I was just there today and the dealer markup on most of the cars was $6000, it was $5000 last year. Assael never has a good selection of cars on the lot either.

I live kinda far from Monrovia but I went even farther and bought my Mini at Irvine Mini. The markup was only $1200 but that came with floormats, the permanplate stuff, and Lojack. Irvine mini also has many cars on the lot and the dealers were very nice (even thought they never sent me the shirt they promised!!!).

 

I ordered Alice from Desert MINI. They forced $2500 of add-ons on me (perma-plate is basically scotchguarding the interior) which gave me the choice of driving lights, cd changer or something else that didn't remotely interest me (and that I can't remember). Between when I ordered it in July and picked it up in October I had 4 different salesmen. They kept leaving.
When I filled in the MINI USA customer satisfaction survey, I put in that I was annoyed at the required options. The next time I was in there, the salesman asked me how come I blasted him in the questionaire. I replied that I didn't blast him, but I was not happy about the dealership policy on the issue. I was generally happy with the process though.

I agree with what everyone is saying, order the car you want. Don't buy what's available simply because you can get it now.

 

>>Don't go to Assael MINI in Monrovia! They're very arogant and they treated me like I was nothing. The people in the BMW dealer right next door treated me better! MightyMini how did u get yours at MSRP? I was just there today and the dealer markup on most of the cars was $6000, it was $5000 last year. Assael never has a good selection of cars on the lot either.
>>
>>I live kinda far from Monrovia but I went even farther and bought my Mini at Irvine Mini. The markup was only $1200 but that came with floormats, the permanplate stuff, and Lojack. Irvine mini also has many cars on the lot and the dealers were very nice (even thought they never sent me the shirt they promised!!!).


It's a matter of knowing how to purchase a car, and letting them know you do not NEED it. It's not hard to get a car AT MSRP, really... especially when you figure already that they make $$ off MSRP to begin with.... the Dealer cost is much much less.

 

>>(perma-plate is basically scotchguarding the interior) >>>

Wow then they're REALLY ripping you off! Scotch guard is for cloth NOT LEATHER!

 

>>It's a matter of knowing how to purchase a car, and letting them know you do not NEED it. It's not hard to get a car AT MSRP, really... especially when you figure already that they make $$ off MSRP to begin with.... the Dealer cost is much much less.

Talked to Manny there at Assael a couple weekends ago. Nice guy. He said they usually charge a 3000 markup on special orders. Told him I couldn't pay that, out of professional pride if for no other reason. (Come on, half my job is sourcing new lines.) He said he'd take in any offer I made, and people had been known to get MSRP, especially if they wanted a standard rather than as S.

If figure, if they'll do it for me I'll buy it there since they're ten minutes from my house. If they won't do the deal, I'll truck on down to Long Beach.

 

MANNY was my salesman

 

Check out Mini of Murray in Salt Lake City, Utah. Nothing added on to MSRP. I ordered the exact car I wanted on 12/20, it was at the dealership on 2/17. Less then 2 months.

 

>>MANNY was my salesman

Ah, a good sign. I'll say "hi" from you when I go in and order